Certain alloys, such as superalloys, austenitic stainless steels, copper alloys, titanium alloys, refractory alloys, non-weldable alloys, and hard-to-weld alloys, may have a tendency to experience strain age cracking during heating within a temperature range wherein the alloy exhibits reduced ductility. The occurrence of strain age cracking in this temperature range, known sometimes as a ductility dip range, may result in articles formed from these alloys having undesirability high fail rates during high-temperature processing such as heat treatments. Additionally during heat treatments and processing of certain articles, the articles may experience thermally-induced distortion due to thermal expansion of the alloys constituting the articles.
Many heat treatment cycles for articles formed from such alloys, including certain gas turbine components, take place within furnaces which limit or exclude the possibility of performing actions on the articles while the articles are being treated, thereby preventing practicable action from being taken which might reduce or prevent strain age cracking or thermally-induced distortion.